


Oversights and Doubts

by LiselleVelvet



Series: Alternative Ferris Air [2]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, M/M, Pre-Relationship, minor season 1 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-30
Updated: 2015-11-30
Packaged: 2018-05-04 06:09:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5323460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiselleVelvet/pseuds/LiselleVelvet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Len is less than impressed.  Seriously, how does one fail to mention the possibility of a black hole?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oversights and Doubts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Liu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liu/gifts).



> Continuation of the Alternative Ferris Air 'verse, based on an anon prompt: "I don't need your blessing, we're not together anymore", that I tweaked to fit the scenario.
> 
> Hope you enjoy
> 
> Not beta'd, barely edited--PLEASE feel free to point out typeos and other errors :D

Pulling the goggles from his eyes, Len stared up at the sky over STAR Labs in disbelief. He _knew_ something big was gonna go down, it was pretty much the only explanation for Barry Allen coming to him for that little jailbreak masquerading as a prisoner transfer. He hadn’t asked what.  

Clearly a massive oversight.

Len was _planning_ to use the kid’s distraction to pull a quick score, with Lisa and Mick. Get back in the swing of things, boost their coffers, and keep his name synonymous with success. Sweeten the deal for the metas he released, hopefully bring them to him faster. That was the plan, anyway.

But it all went to shit before they even stepped into the building. Because there was a fucking _black hole_ (ok, wasn’t 100% on that, but it was all Len could come up with, especially the way debris, cars, people, entire _buildings_ were being sucked into the damn thing) over Central City. The fuck did the kid get himself into?!

“Lisa, Mick–”

“WHAT the–”

“Lenny….”

“Quiet.” He took a deep breath, “get out of here, both of you. Far as possible.” Could tell Mick was in motion before he even finished speaking, but Lisa…

“Dammit, Len,” she knew him too well.

“Go, sis. That’s an order.” He didn’t turn, heard her snarl…something…under her breath at him, then the roar of her bike. His eyes fixed on the spark, to the golden lightning streaking up a building, the debris, _towards_ –what the fuck was Barry _thinking?!_

He stayed. Watched. Resisted the urge to race to STAR Labs and demand answers from Cisco and Snow and whoever else was there. But he couldn’t. It’d mean looking away from the lightning, the only proof that somehow, yet again, Barry–the Flash–was continuing to do the impossible.

Stood, like a statue, as the lightning became a solid ring of gold, then fire, an explosion. Silence.

Gravity took over, forcing Len to look away, duck for cover before a Jeep landed on his head. Fixed his eyes on the sky again, as fast as possible, but nothing. No lightning. No fire. His stomach twisted uncomfortably.  

Needed to go, to check on Lisa and Mick, get out of here before the area was closed off, scattered debris more effective than CCPD could ever dream of. Wanted…didn’t matter.

A week passed. No sign of Barry Allen. No sightings of the Flash.

Three more days and Lisa and Mick teamed up, kicked him out of the safe house. Told him to _cool off_ of all things. Get laid, or drunk, or pick a fight. Anything. He sneered and growled, but went. Was tired of being cooped up, anyway.

Traded his parka and cargo pants for jeans and a black Henley, snagged Aviators and a hat on his way out–becoming Cold made it a helluva lot easier to move around as just plain 'Len’, now. Would’ve smirked at the irony, given the national airing of Snow’s kidnapping video, but.

Len tried STAR Labs first, but quickly reconsidered. Perched on a nearby rooftop with binoculars, the place was surrounded and roped off tight, swarming with FEMA. Clenched his free hand into a fist, briefly wondered if the scientists got the Flash stuff out in time. If there was anything _to_ get out, since Barry’d been in his suit–

Next was CCPD. Not his brightest move, but the kid’s lab was on the top floor. Needed to know, more than worth the minimal risk. Cops were stretched thin, after all.

He parked his bike a few blocks away, in an alley. People never bother to look up–roof access three buildings over made it all too easy to get into the lab without ever having to bother with most of the precinct. Or any of it, climbed in through the window after forty-seven seconds of careful listening.

Lights off, room empty. Empty, but not deserted. No dust, files out and open.

Footsteps. Two sets. Muffled voices…familiar.

“–know, Joe. I know. I’m _fine_. Look, can we not…?”

Barry.

Refused, flat out _refused_ to consider the wave of relief that crashed over him. Ducked behind the metal shelves of chemicals just in time, lab door opening just long enough to admit the CSI, then slamming in West’s face. Good.

Watched the kid, took in the huge bags under his eyes, defeated slump of his shoulders. Not ‘fine’ at all. Been through the wringer, physically healed, sure, but Len knew that was the easy part. Dealing with it…another story entirely.

Barry practically collapsed into his chair, rested elbows on the desktop and sighed, then froze. Stared at the window.

The window that Len, in his haste, neglected to close completely. Fuck.

“You might as well come out. Last I checked, the best the pigeons could manage was shitting on the window, not opening it.” Barry sounded resigned, not angry, with a small, tired smile.  

Interesting. Len took a moment to ensure his typical mask of sardonic amusement was firmly in place before stepping out of his hiding spot.

“Don’t be too sure about that. Damn things are smarter than you think.” Barry’s eyes went wide at the sight of him before the speedster tried to cover his surprise. Didn’t help. Wondered who the kid expected to be there, since he doubted any of his friends would use the window over a door.

“ _Snart_?! what are you doing here!”

“Getting some answers, Barry,” he drawled, crossing his arms and leaning a hip against the kid’s desk.

“Answers?  Are you insane–this is the _precinct_. One yell from me and you’d be arrested in a heartbeat. People come in and out of here _all the time–”_

Len resisted the urge to roll his eyes, “explains the scent of bacon. And doughnuts. Chill out. Only you, West, and maybe Thawne would recognize me like this.”

Barry winced, grimaced, and looked away at the last name. Len waited for him to look up again.

“A black hole, kid? _That_ was why you needed my help and it didn’t occur to you to give me a heads up? Not terribly heroic.”

Kid was on his feet before Len could blink, in his face. “Are you for real?! You think I _planned_ that? God–” ran a hand through his hair, “if I had known, or thought or,” he laughed. It was bitter, slightly hysterical.

“Thousands died, including two of my–It’ll take _months_ to fix all the damage, and all because Wel–Eo– _people_ wanted me dead. Including _you_ , Cold.” The speedster was tripping over his words, thoughts racing, refusing to finish a goddamn sentence, or give Len enough context to piece it together for himself.

“And now–I don’t even…” threw up his hands, pacing. Kept his voice down, thankfully. “Why am I trying to justify myself to you? We’re not together, or even _friends_. I don’t need your blessing. Just…just leave.”

Len blinked, taken aback by the very strange word choice, but decided to leave it alone for now. Certainly something to examine later.

“Rushing me out already, Barry? How cold of you.”

Got him a scoffing laugh, and an eye roll. “Are puns a requirement?”

Len smirked, slipping back out onto the ledge. He stayed there, waited for the kid to close the window behind him, back pressed to the building. Barry stood there, staring, for thirty-nine seconds.

Then he spoke. Voice quiet, small, hollow. “I’m no hero, never was,” and the window slid shut.


End file.
